Guards Added At Soviet Embassy In Beirut

October 4, 1985|United Press International

BEIRUT — Squads of Lebanese militiamen beefed up security at the Soviet Embassy and other Soviet facilities Thursday to prevent possible attacks by Moslem extremists believed to be holding three kidnapped Soviet officials.

The discovery of the body of a fourth hostage -- counselor Arkady Katkov, 32 -- in mostly Moslem west Beirut on Wednesday raised fears about the safety of the other three prisoners.

The killing of Katkov was the first fatal kidnapping of a Soviet diplomat anywhere in the world. The three other hostages, taken captive Monday from two embassy cars in Moslem west Beirut, are commercial attache Valery Mirikov, embassy physician Dr. Nikolai Sverski and attache Oleg Spirin.

A statement issued Wednesday night by the kidnappers warned the three remaining hostages would be killed unless demands for a cease-fire in the northern port of Tripoli were met. No deadline was set.

Soviet diplomats and Lebanese authorities established a crisis center to coordinate efforts to find the men, kidnapped Monday from two embassy cars in west Beirut. The Christian Central News Agency said security forces know where the Soviets are being held and gave the information to the Soviet embassy. The report could not be immediately confirmed.

There was no new word from the kidnappers -- who claim to be the Khaled Islambuli Brigade of the Islamic Liberation Organization -- on the three men, but a caller saying he represented the group claimed responsibility for the assassination Wednesday of a leading member of the Lebanese Communist Party, Selim Yamout, as part of an effort to win their demands.

At the Soviet Embassy in west Beirut, militiamen of the Druze Progressive Socialist Party and Lebanese Communist Party strengthened security following a threat Wednesday to blow up the building unless all Soviet personnel had left Beirut by Friday afternoon.

Police said they were skeptical of the threat, made in a call to two Western news agencies not usually contacted by Lebanese guerrilla groups. But authorities said they could not ignore the warnings.

Christian Voice of Lebanon radio said 10 militiamen armed with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers were positioned on the roof of the building opposite the embassy, and 15 others were in the mission compound.

Five Syrian intelligence service agents were patrolling the street in front of the embassy. The gates on the northern and eastern sides of the building were locked and blockaded with concrete tank traps.